Through his Observation Haki, Ray sensed Big Mom's overwhelming presence, but amidst it, he also caught Chouchou's scent.
However, it wasn't the pungent aura of his transformed state; instead, it was the unique, earthy scent of a small dog—his original form.
From this single clue, Ray drew a conclusion.
Since Chouchou couldn't communicate with him telepathically, he still lacked rationality and remained under the influence of the berserker serum.
Logically, a berserk Chouchou should be driven solely by combat instincts, which would force him to maintain his giant, transformed state.
The fact that he had reverted to a harmless little white dog indicated one thing: someone near Big Mom had the ability to control him.
His earlier speculation had turned into certainty.
With that realization, Ray suppressed the impulse to forcibly take Chouchou back right then and there.
Leaving the retrieval to Katakuri was the safest option.
Before Big Mom arrived at the port, the residents of Whole Cake Island—including members of the Big Mom Pirates and subordinate crews—lined up at the dock, awaiting the return of their queen.
As the ruler of Whole Cake Island, Big Mom was their Emperor.
Whether her subjects loved her or feared her, it changed nothing.
Charlotte Linlin was the absolute authority in this nation; this was her domain.
Today marked her first day back in her kingdom after returning from the Grand Line, and Big Mom was in high spirits.
First, the entire nation had prepared a grand cake to celebrate her homecoming.
Second, in a few days, Ray would arrive.
Once she captured him, she would finally have the most handsome child across all four seas!
Standing at the ship's bow, Big Mom was exhilarated.
Her eyes darted back and forth, filled with anticipation.
Suddenly, she spotted a familiar figure waiting for her.
"Mamamama! Katakuri, you came to pick me up."
"Yes, Mama. The cake is ready, and everyone is waiting for you to start the banquet."
Hearing that the cake was prepared, Big Mom was overjoyed. Whatever she desired to eat, her children and subordinates were obligated to provide.
Take today's cake, for example: two of its rare ingredients were not available on Whole Cake Island, so she had dispatched Smoothie to seize them.
One island that possessed the raw materials had attempted to resist, resulting in the near-total annihilation of its inhabitants.
The other island, where the Snow Lotus Paste was located, had only survived because Ray happened to pass by and intervene.
This was the tyranny of the Big Mom Pirates.
They were the most outrageous Yonko crew, disregarding all life to serve the whims of Charlotte Linlin.
Katakuri understood all too well that the queen of Whole Cake Island was a purely selfish individual.
This country and this pirate crew could never develop sustainably under her rule.
When Big Mom's demands were not met, she would resort to slaughter, ignoring whether the victims were her own citizens or even her own childrens.
He recalled a time when a minister governing an island made a reasonable request to Big Mom out of love for his people.
In response, she extracted the life force from the minister—her own child.
Extremely selfish, authoritarian, and oppressive, she forced her children to become mere tools.
This was his mother.
A Yonko? It was ridiculous, but also pitiable.
If resistance and escape weren't seemingly impossible, Katakuri would have taken his closest siblings and left this place long ago.
But today, an opportunity had finally arisen.
Ray possessed the strength to suppress Big Mom.
Even if Ray couldn't kill her, he could at least create enough chaos to save Katakuri's sister, Smoothie.
Big Mom would inevitably be injured in a battle with Ray, and during her recovery, Katakuri was confident he could escape this demon with his siblings.
And if Ray actually managed to kill Big Mom? That was the outcome Katakuri desired most.
Although the Big Mom Pirates might fracture and fall apart, all his siblings—whether close to him or not—would gain their freedom.
In a way, Katakuri wished for Big Mom's death even more than Ray did, but he suppressed these thoughts due to his lack of strength.
Of course, this all hinged on Ray actually taking action after receiving the dog.
Katakuri knew Ray could simply take Chouchou and leave.
But he chose to cooperate anyway.
Even if Ray didn't declare all out war, at least Smoothie would be saved.
If Big Mom discovered his betrayal, the worst outcome would be die at her hand—cleaning the slate between mother and son.
It felt like a fitting end.
With his resolve hardened, Katakuri strode to the base of Big Mom's ship and presented his proposal.
"Mama, today's cakes and desserts contain a significant amount of chocolate. Allow me to take custody of this captured puppy and keep it under surveillance so it does not die before you have a use for it."
...
Two hours later, approaching noon.
Ray had been waiting at the coordinates marked by Katakuri for quite some time.
Seated beneath a tree, he sensed Chouchou slowly approaching alongside the Sweet Commander.
Accompanying them was another presence—stronger than an ordinary person, yet weaker than the high-ranking Big Mom officers.
They would arrive in about five minutes.
Katakuri had chosen this location because it was Big Mom's "rear garden," an area used for imprisoning captives and housing exotic beasts.
Katakuri himself served as its overseer.
Nearby, a magnificent giant serpent chased a man in armor, while in the sky, a massive bald eagle swooped down toward a fleeing woman.
Within a ten-kilometer radius, the area resembled a natural wildlife sanctuary where humans and beasts slaughtered each other for the Queen's entertainment.
The "lucky" survivors might be selected to join the Big Mom Pirates.
For safety, Ray had completely concealed his presence to remain undetected by Big Mom.
As for Cavendish, his mediocre strength meant that even if Big Mom sensed him, she would dismiss him as just another war captive in the garden.
After waiting a while longer, Cavendish grew bored.
Noticing Ray still sitting under the tree and realizing it was lunchtime, the clever prince suddenly conceived a "perfect" way to curry favor.
"Boss Ray, it's lunchtime! I have various chocolate snacks here—what would you like?"
Cavendish rushed over with a large bag of treats and spread them out.
"Your little dog will be here soon, and since he can't eat these, why don't we brothers finish all this chocolate first so it doesn't go to waste?"
Ray, who had almost grown accustomed to Cavendish's presence, instantly regretted not killing him earlier.
Just listen to what he's saying.....
Chouchou is a dog and can't eat chocolate.
'Then what about me? Does that mean I can?'
And he brought a whole bag.
If Ray refused, Cavendish might notice something was off, which would be humiliating.
But if he ate it... what if it was poisoned? Or worse, just the principle of the matter annoyed him.
Better just kill him.
Ray's urge to silence Cavendish grew intense.
His right fist, resting on the ground, tightened. He was ready to grant Cavendish a swift reincarnation as thanks for the meal invitation.
Just then, Katakuri arrived.
At his feet was the little white dog, Chouchou, his eyes glowing an ominous red.
Around his neck, Ray clearly saw a strange green collar.
Upon seeing the man accompanying Katakuri and Chouchou, Ray finally recognized him.
He was a user of the Pet-Pet Fruit... Breed.
"How dare an ant like you control Chouchou!"
The appearance of Breed shifted Ray's killing intent away from Cavendish and directly toward the beast tamer.
Unknowingly, Cavendish had once again survived a life-and-death crisis!